perdition [ per-DISH-uh’ n ]
[noun]
MEANING:
1. destruction, damnation or ruin
2. hell
USAGE EXAMPLE 1:
Not learning from history will seal our perdition.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2:
In it, he saw a train carrying innumerable people to perdition, and its meaning was unveiled to him as representing the Nazis,” it says.
badger [ BAJ-er ]
[noun,transitive verb]
MEANING:
1. (n.) a burrowing mammal like a bandicoot or its fur
2. (tr.v.) to pester, urge or nag someone
USAGE EXAMPLE 1:
His face resembled that of a badger.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2:
The American badger is one of the prairie dog’s toughest enemies.
unwonted [ uhn-WAWN-tid,-WOHN-,-WUHN- ]
[adjective]
MEANING:
1. not customary or habitual
2. not accustomed; unused
USAGE EXAMPLE 1:
The strictest teacher started treating the students with unwonted kindness because an official visit from the faculty inspector was due.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2:
And there is a consensus in Beijing that the momentum is on their side — and a display of unwonted leniency may only encourage the ‘splittists’ to make more mischief against central authorities.
prong [ prawng ]
[noun,transitive verb]
MEANING:
1. (n.) a pointed tine of a fork
2. (n.) a pointed or projecting part of
3. (n.) a branch of a stream
4. (tr. v.) to pierce with the projecting part of an object
USAGE EXAMPLE 1:
There used to be a small two prong plug that was mounted on the frame to hold the blades.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2:
Some of the tables are made from discarded wooden salad bowls while detailing on the fireplace was created using the brass prongs from plugs.
compensatory [ kuh’m-PEN-suh’-tawr-ee ]
[adjective]
MEANING:
1. offsetting, reimbursing or making up for a loss
2. acting as a counterbalance
3. serving as a form of reparation
USAGE EXAMPLE 1:
Every farmer who lost crops during the deluge was given one lakh rupees by the government as a compensatory measure.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2:
Prof Waldfogel said the research in the US suggested there were some useful “compensatory education” programmed which could help bring children from poorer backgrounds forward.